Adam Blackstone is only in competition with himself. At the young age of four, he fell in love with music. Later, his elementary school music teacher encouraged him to switch from drums to bass. His foundation earned him a full scholarship to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where he majored in Jazz Performance and played in the musical theater pit band and at local venues, including jazz clubs, restaurants, and open mic nights—where he met Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. It all led to him playing for Jay-Z at his farewell concert in November 2003. Fast forward over 20 years, and he’s back onstage with Hov celebrating the respective 30th and 25th anniversaries for Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. In partnership with Omar Edwards and Young Guru, Backstone and the fellow musicians collectively “executed the homie’s vision” as co-music directors.
Whether it was working through mind-blowing transitions or incorporating special guests, Blackstone breaks down his humble beginnings, the collaborative magic behind Hov’s historic Yankee Stadium concerts, his overall approach as a musical director for any artist, his goal to reach EGOT status, and why his best gig is being a father.
